It Didn't Count
by FairyNiamh
Summary: Their hugs didn't 'really' count as 'hugs'... Did they?


**Notes/Warnings**: No warnings really. Stiles/Derek and my first Teen Wolf fic.

**Beta**: Beta'd* by the lovely drivvenwrinth

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The first time he hugged Derek, it was not really a hug.

No, really it wasn't! He had been up on a ladder changing a light bulb and lost his footing. He managed to get himself turned, 'cause where falling is bad; falling on your back was worse. At least when he turned around his arms could break his fall.

The one thing he had not counted on was a wide-eyed Derek being there with his arms stretched out to catch him. It was just his rotten luck and Derek's lack of balance, at that moment, that had them wind up wrapped in each other's arms on the ground.

So, when Derek growled Stiles hurriedly scrambled off of him apologizing profusely before beating a hasty retreat. No, he had not really meant to knee Derek in the groin when he was trying to get up. That would have been counter-productive to his goal of actually befriending the big bad sour-wolf. His luck? Rotten to the core.

The second time was, once again, an accident and did not count. If it counted then Scott would eat Derek's shirt. Stiles would not be eating or chewing any shirt, thank you very much, he wasn't the puppy in the pack.

Where he rather enjoyed the feeling of holding a helpless Derek up in the water and he may (or may not) have nuzzled the back of his neck – it still did not count because he was also doing his best to keep Derek alive and by the grace of whatever protects ADHD werewolf bait safe, keep the Kanima at bay.

Still it was not truly a hug it was Stiles saving Derek's life. So what if he would have let Jackson drown, pretty much right away, and might have even let Scott drop to the bottom after an hour. Jackson had always been an asshole and here recently his not so best friend Scott, only had thoughts for Alison. AKA the boy only thought with his dick. Whatever, none of that mattered; all that mattered was that it was so totally NOT a hug!

By the third time, Stiles was beginning to wonder if he would ever get to hug Derek on purpose.

Okay, so it was not so much a hug as he was pushed on top on Derek's hard – incredibly sexy body. He was thankful to Jackson that they were both dead from the neck down, because he would have surely popped a boner and rutted against Derek's shapely thigh until he shot his load.

Stiles was not sure if he wanted to kiss or kill Matt for pulling him off Derek. No, he was pretty sure he wanted to kill the little shit. He not only threatened his dad, his friends, and his pseudo mom… he probably put bad thoughts in Derek's head.

Yup, Stiles Stalinski was officially Fate's bitch - or maybe he was Fate's old timey chamber pot. Huh, he would have to think that one over.

By the fourth time, that _still _wasn't on purpose, Stiles began to despair. Here he was legs wrapped around Derek's waist and arms around his strong neck. Derek's left arm was around Stiles' torso and his right arm… well his right arm was, in Stiles opinion, doing the best thing ever.

No, he was not stroking Stiles off, or touching him in all the places Stiles dreamed the wolf could/ would/ should touch him. Nope… he was holding onto the ledge and preventing them from plummeting forty feet.

If Derek let go Stiles was almost positive Derek would come out alive after the sudden stop (Though he would probably be pretty beat up) there was only a slim chance of Stiles surviving and zero percent chance of him coming away uninjured.

"Would you just climb up already?" Derek growled.

"Can't, pretty sure that the fire department is going to have to use the Jaws of Life to get me off of you."

Derek tried to shake Stiles, now named 'The Human Octopus', loose which only resulted in Stiles screaming like a girl in a very manly manner.

Thankfully, Scott had heard them and ran up to the room, where they were hanging out at, to lend a helping hand.

"Do I even want to know how this happened?" Scott asked as he reached out and pulled the two to safety.

"Vampires," Derek answered tersely while trying to escape Stiles clutches. "A little help here?"

They were lucky that they did not need the Jaws of Life to remove Stiles, just the strength of two werewolves and promises of good food.

Stiles walked away from the werewolves muttering about needing to find 'Supernatural Life Insurance' and suing the hotel for negligence. Who would let Vampires stay so close to the human and werewolf populace? _Idiots_, the whole town was filled with them.

The fifth time was kind of, sort of, in a very roundabout way a hug - but not really.

There Stiles was sitting in the hospital tears running down his face, snot running from his nose, biting his nails until they bled, while rocking back and forth because his dad had been shot; by Alison. She had mistaken him, the Sheriff, for a damned werewolf.

He understood that she was still grieving for her mother. Hell, he was still grieving the loss of his own mother and she had passed years ago. However, his dad looked more like her dad than any fucking werewolf in Beacon Hills or the surrounding area.

When Stiles had first made it to the hospital Chris had been there to apologize for Alison. All Stiles could do was growl at the man and tell him to keep the bitch away from him and send her to get help… because she was out of control and needed anger management as well as grief counseling and they better hope his father lived. Maybe she was suffering from PTSD, what with her Aunt being killed and her mother committing suicide. Whatever, if his dad died because of this shit and her issues… his wrath would make Derek look like a toothless puppy and Peter look like the poster child for being good. He didn't break down until the man promised to send Allison away for help and had left himself. Scott might get upset with him for that but; Scott could get happy in the same pants he got angry in. It was not his fault that Scott chose a nut-case hunter for a girlfriend.

Derek had shown up shortly after the confrontation. He rubbed Stiles back and stayed by his side until his dad was out of the operating room. He was in serious but stable condition. It looked like the chances of his dad pulling through were very good. He would have a long road of recovery, but that didn't matter to Stiles. His father would live. He would not be alone in the world.

All Stiles could do was collapse in Derek's lap and cry happy tears as the werewolf awkwardly patted his back, telling him everything would be fine.

So, not really a hug. Just one person trying to comfort another by wrapping their arms around them. See? No hugs here.

Yes, all of Stiles's hugs had been accidental or comfort hugs. (That is his story and he's sticking to it!) This however was definitely not an accident and so not his fault.

He had been sitting at the table with Derek eating a pizza ranting about how he is always left out of pack activities. Even now, the pack was out dancing and instead of including him, they included Lydia. How fair was that? He had been there first and helped, sometimes at the risk of his own life! It just wasn't fair.

"I told them to go without us," Derek said while rolling his eyes and reaching for a piece of pizza.

Stiles felt his heart drop into his stomach. He knew that this would be his last dinner at the Hale house - and really - when was life going to ease up on him? "Why?" He needed to know. If Lydia was going to take his place, he wanted to know what she had done right and he had done wrong. Oh, and for the record, he definitely was NOT pouting. No matter what Derek later said.

"I wanted us to have a date without the kids. So, I gave them some money and sent them out to play."

"Date?" Stiles squeaked out the question. His ears must be clogged up because surely he hadn't heard that word correctly. On the other hand, maybe Derek said the wrong word.

"Well, maybe I should have asked first. But, I figured with how many times we've hugged, I would just make it official," Derek explained as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"But they… I mean that is… they meant something to you?" Stiles's shock was evident in his wide eyes and heavy breathing.

Derek narrowed his own eyes, "Of course they meant something. I don't just go around hugging everyone."

"Of course, sorry. So, the kids… What? That is – umm, how do they feel about this? Us, I mean us being together that is." It was so freaking' weird for him to be calling people his age kids.

"They are happy. They think you will be the perfect pack mother and are happy that I am finally, publicly, claiming my mate."

"Pack mother? Mate?" At this point Stiles was pretty damned sure, his eyes would fall out of their sockets at any minute now.

As Stiles moaned and laid his head on the table he failed to notice his dinner companion – boyfriend – mate - something; get up, come over, and kneel beside him.

"You okay?" Derek asked while gently wrapping him in his arms and pulling him close.

"Me? Oh, fine… perfectly fine; just all kinds of fucked," Stiles replied with a self-depreciative chuckle.

"Not yet you're not," Derek chuckled while wiggling his eyebrows at his future mate.

He briefly wondered if he could go back to oblivious land and pretend that this hug - cuddle was another accident. When Derek squeezed him a little tighter, he gave up and laid his head on Derek's shoulder... Yup, he was soon to be fucked and he found that he didn't mind that thought - at all.

~Fin~


End file.
